ECHO Factsheet Kenya – April 2014

Dadaab refugee camp - one of the largest in the world - hosts over 369 000 refugees, mostly from Somalia. Gaps in humanitarian assistance, especially in shelter, sanitation and protection, require urgent and sustained attention.
The situation inside Dadaab and along the border with Somalia is volatile, leading to growing concerns for the safety of humanitarian workers.

With over 155 000 refugees mainly from Somalia, South Sudan and the Great Lakes, Kakuma camp has exceeded its capacity. A steady influx of South Sudanese refugees since December 2013 has resulted in increased land and water scarcity and severe overcrowding. A new camp is required urgently to ease the congestion.

The repatriation of Somali refugees is high on the agenda of the government of Kenya. A tri-partite agreement was signed in November between the Government of Kenya, the Government of Somalia and UNHCR setting the basis for safe and voluntary returns to Somalia when the situation there is conducive. The right of asylum in Kenya must continue to be respected. A small-scale return pilot is in the making and can contribute important lessons learned provided it is completely voluntary and can happen in safety and dignity.

The food security and nutrition situation has deteriorated with the people in need of humanitarian assistance increasing to 1.3 million from 800 000 after the 2013 seasonal rainfall.

Kenya is a disaster-prone country in need of strengthened emergency preparedness and response capacities.